Sue Turnbull

This book examines the intertwined histories of television and migration in Australia, told from the perspectives of migrants who worked in the screen industry and the many more who watched television. Their stories demonstrate how Australia’s growing cultural diversity has challenged conventional representations of ‘Australianness’ on television, and how ongoing advocacy has supported the growing inclusivity of multiple narratives and diverse experiences on screen. Migrants from many backgrounds were instrumental in the establishment in 1956 of Australian television, working behind and in front of the cameras as producers, directors, writers, technicians and actors. From early broadcasting to the digital present, portrayals of cultural differences have often been shaped by appropriation, ethnic stereotyping and racism. This has occurred across a range of formats from drama to comedy to news and reality shows. Many in the industry have responded with resilience and creative adaptation, as they have increasingly taken control of the ways that migrant stories are told and diversity is celebrated. The first comprehensive Australian study of migrants and television, this book considers the ways multicultural audiences have experienced the small screen over seven decades. Drawing on rich oral histories, it analyses the memories of television in the work, school, family life and leisure of migrant communities and their broader engagements with Australian culture. Research in the archives of broadcasters and production companies reveals how non-Anglo Australian characters were constructed, and how such portrayals have shifted. This new history takes us to digital screen production and consumption today, exploring how Australians of many diasporas engage with the global network of screen content in the twenty-first century. It is essential reading for media professionals, advocates, students and those interested in the intersections between media, cultural diversity and the nation.

This book examines the intertwined histories of television and migration in Australia, told from the perspectives of migrants who worked in the screen industry and the many more who watched television. Their stories demonstrate how Australia’s growing cultural diversity has challenged conventional representations of ‘Australianness’ on television, and how ongoing advocacy has supported the growing inclusivity of multiple narratives and diverse experiences on screen. Migrants from many backgrounds were instrumental in the establishment in 1956 of Australian television, working behind and in front of the cameras as producers, directors, writers, technicians and actors. From early broadcasting to the digital present, portrayals of cultural differences have often been shaped by appropriation, ethnic stereotyping and racism. This has occurred across a range of formats from drama to comedy to news and reality shows. Many in the industry have responded with resilience and creative adaptation, as they have increasingly taken control of the ways that migrant stories are told and diversity is celebrated. The first comprehensive Australian study of migrants and television, this book considers the ways multicultural audiences have experienced the small screen over seven decades. Drawing on rich oral histories, it analyses the memories of television in the work, school, family life and leisure of migrant communities and their broader engagements with Australian culture. Research in the archives of broadcasters and production companies reveals how non-Anglo Australian characters were constructed, and how such portrayals have shifted. This new history takes us to digital screen production and consumption today, exploring how Australians of many diasporas engage with the global network of screen content in the twenty-first century. It is essential reading for media professionals, advocates, students and those interested in the intersections between media, cultural diversity and the nation.

This book offers an account of how the global popularity of the Nordic Noir wave of television crime drama such as? The Killing/Forbrydelsen and The Bridge/Broen/Bron?had a profound impact on the production of television crime drama in Australia. Through a series of case studies including Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries, The Kettering Incident, Secret City and Mystery Road, the authors explore how the Australian television industry responded to the new streaming environment by producing shows with international reach and appeal. Central to this analysis is the concept of 'total value' which expands the notions of cultural and economic value to account for how these crime dramas generate value for the Australian screen industry in general, their creators in particular, as well as the social and financial benefits that may ensue for the communities in which they took place and audiences across the world.

The relationship between the media and its audiences has always been a topic of research and debate. Media Audiences provides a comprehensive and succinct overview of the field of audience studies from the time of the printing press to an era characterized by online digital connectivity. Written in an engaging and accessible style, this book offers a wealth of personal insight into the experience of undertaking audience research in order to illustrate the key methodological issues and challenges in the field. Addressing such topics as technologies, content and the people who are the subjects of audience research, the author challenges readers to think about the value of such research for themselves and for society at large. Comprehensive yet concise, this is essential reading for students of Media with an interest in audience studies.

The relationship between the media and its audiences has always been a topic of research and debate. Media Audiences provides a comprehensive and succinct overview of the field of audience studies from the time of the printing press to an era characterized by online digital connectivity. Written in an engaging and accessible style, this book offers a wealth of personal insight into the experience of undertaking audience research in order to illustrate the key methodological issues and challenges in the field. Addressing such topics as technologies, content and the people who are the subjects of audience research, the author challenges readers to think about the value of such research for themselves and for society at large. Comprehensive yet concise, this is essential reading for students of Media with an interest in audience studies.

This title maps the development of the crime drama on international television. The television crime drama has been a constant of the television landscape since it first migrated from film and radio onto the small screen in the 1950s. Since then, from Dixon of Dock Green to The Wire, from Minder to The Sopranos or Cracker to Dexter, the crime drama has continued to attract large audiences even as the depiction of the crime, the perpetrators and the investigators has changed. This book provides an historical analysis of the TV crime series as a genre by paying close attention not only to the nature of TV dramas themselves, but also to the context of production and reception. Rather than simply providing an overview, this book offers a series of case studies to illuminate key issues in the trajectory of the genre. Particular attention will be paid to the transnational career of the television crime drama, including the British and American product, as well as attention to crime drama series produced in other national contexts such as Europe and Australia. In terms of reception, this book includes original research on how the TV crime drama is perceived by audiences within the particular national context of Australia where American, British and European crime dramas vie for attention in the TV schedule alongside the local product. Finally, the future of the TV crime series is canvassed in a discussion of the changing television landscape and the shift to other forms of TV consumption enabled by new digital technologies. It includes case studies on The Wire, Minder and The Killing. It discusses drama from Australia, the US, Britain and Europe.

This title maps the development of the crime drama on international television. The television crime drama has been a constant of the television landscape since it first migrated from film and radio onto the small screen in the 1950s. Since then, from Dixon of Dock Green to The Wire, from Minder to The Sopranos or Cracker to Dexter, the crime drama has continued to attract large audiences even as the depiction of the crime, the perpetrators and the investigators has changed. This book provides an historical analysis of the TV crime series as a genre by paying close attention not only to the nature of TV dramas themselves, but also to the context of production and reception. Rather than simply providing an overview, this book offers a series of case studies to illuminate key issues in the trajectory of the genre. Particular attention will be paid to the transnational career of the television crime drama, including the British and American product, as well as attention to crime drama series produced in other national contexts such as Europe and Australia. In terms of reception, this book includes original research on how the TV crime drama is perceived by audiences within the particular national context of Australia where American, British and European crime dramas vie for attention in the TV schedule alongside the local product. Finally, the future of the TV crime series is canvassed in a discussion of the changing television landscape and the shift to other forms of TV consumption enabled by new digital technologies. It includes case studies on The Wire, Minder and The Killing. It discusses drama from Australia, the US, Britain and Europe.